Tractor wheel



' May 15, 1028. 1,670,100

E, E. DEITRICH TRACTOR WHEEL Filed April 15, 1927 4 Sheets$heet 1 May 1 192 Filed April 13, l92 7 4 Sheets-Sheet May 15, 1928. 1,670,100

E. E. DEITRICH TRACTOR WHEEL Filed April 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v Q Q WHHHHIW Fatented may 15, 132.

EARL E. DEEEEICH, 0E BALTIEIORE, MARYLAND.

TRAGTOJR WHEEL.

Application filed April 13, 192?. Serial Ho. 188,464.

This invention relates to vehicle propelling fmeans and provides a stepping wheel embodying a hub, arms and shoes or tread elements, the parts being arranged to operate by a stepping action and a heel and toe movement, thereby assuring movement and haulage over rough and uneven ground with a.minimum amount of shock and vibration.

The invention consists of a wheel embodying two sets of shoes, or tread elements, disposed in a circle, the shoes of one set being spaced from the shoes of the other set and having a staggered arrangement relative thereto, three coaxially mounted hub members connected by a differential gearing, the intermediate hub member being keyed to a drive axle which loosely supports the other two hub members, and pairs of arms connecting the shoes to the loosely mounted hub members. one arm of each pair connecting a shoe with one of the hub members and the companion arm connecting said shoe with the other hub member.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that in adapting the means to meet specific needs and requirements, the design may be varied and such other changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the invention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a tractor wheel embodying'the'invention, a portion of the near loose hub member being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the relation of the parts when the load stress is carried by three of the shoes ortread elements.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a detail, sectional view of the center or front portion of the wheel on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the hub portion of the wheel on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are detail views showing different positions of a shoe or tread element and the arms connecting the shoe to the loose hub members.

Corresponding and like parts are referredwithstand side stresses. 'and 8 are loosely mounted upon an axle 13 v to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the shoes or tread members of one set and 2 designates being located opposite the spaces between as the shoes of the companion set, thereby presenting a staggered arrangement. Each of the shoes or tread elements 1 has a pair of arms 3 and 4 pivoted thereto, and each of the shoes or tread elements 2 has a pair of arms 5 and 6 pivoted thereto. Each of the arms is of similar formation and is of ogee outline, both for symmetry of appearance and to enable a mutual lateral bracing to and an intermediate hub member 11 is fixed to the axle 13 so as to rotate therewith and is located intermediate the hub members '7 and 8. The several arms are pivotally con- 30 v nected at their innerends to the hub mem bers 7 and 8 and the arms of the respective pairs are connected to the hub members at opposite points, as indicated most clearly in the detail views 6. 7 and 8. One arm 3 of .85

a pair is connected to the hub member 7 and the companion arm 4 of the same pair is connected to the hub member 8 at a point 0pposite the connection of the arm 3 with'the I hub member 7. The arms 5 and 6 of the 9 several pairs are similarly connected to the hub members 7 and 8 at oppositepoints, as indicated most clearly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The arms 3 appear in substantially the same plane at one side of the wheel. The arms 5 are located in substan tially the same plane at the opposite side of the wheel. The arms 6 cross from one side of the wheel to the, opposite side, as indicated most clearly in Figure 3, and are conm9 nectcd at their inner ends to the hub 7 to which the arms 3 are attached. The arms 4 cross the arms 6 and pass from one side of the wheel to the opposite side in a reverse direction to the arm 6 and are connected at their inner ends to the hub 8 to which the arms 5 are attached. and are connected at their outer ends to the shoes 1 to which the outer ends of the arms 3 are connected. The

several arms clear one another and interlace,

Hub members 7 75 as indicated most clearly in Figures 1 and 2, and serve to mutually brace one another against lateral stresses. oppositely disposed shoes or tread elements 1 and 2 have corresponding arms rigidly connected, whereby to cause said arms to move in unison about their pivot connection with a loose hub menr' ber. Thus, it is that the arms 3 and 6 of oppositely disposed shoes 1 and 2, are connected at 14 and are pivoted to the hub 7 at 15. The arms 4 and 5 of oppositely disposed shoes are rigidly connected at16 ;and are pivoted at 17 to the hub member 8. As indicated most clearly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings the pairs of arms of oppositely disposed shoes 1 and 2 are not rigidly connected and, in consequence, oppositely disposed shoes have a limited pivotal move ment on the outer ends of the rigidly connected arms 3 and 6, and 4 and 5. It is observed that the rigidly connected arms 3 and 6 are pivoted to the hub member 7, whereas the rigidly connected arms 4 and 5 are pivotally connected to the hub member 8, and in this manner provision is had for a limited independent movement of the two sets of rigidly connected arms and the shoes or tread members pivotally connected to the outer ends thereof.

The hub member 11 partakes of the nature of a spider or disk and is keyed or otherwise made fast to the shaft 13 to rotate therewith. Pins 18 radiate from the member '11 and receive bevel pinions 12 which mesh with bevel gears 9 and 10 fast to the respective hub members 7 and 8. The gearing 9, 10 and 12 constitutes a differential connection between the loosely mounted hub members 7 and 8 and admits of said members having a limited independently rotary movement which is essential to the stepping and heel and toe action of the shoes or tread members 1 and 2.

The tractor wheel has its hub members 7 8 and 11 coaxially mounted, the hub member 11 being keyed to the axle or shaft 13, Whereas the hub members 7 and 8 are loosely mounted upon said axle. It will thus be understood that power is applied to the axle 13 to continuously rotate the same, thereby impartin apositive rotary movement to the hub mem er 11 which, through the difi'crential gearing, is transmitted to the loosely mounted hub members 7 and 8 which thus receive an independent movement which results in the stepping and heel and toe action of the shoes, which, as they come into operative position, engage the surface at one corner corresponding to the heel, as indicated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, and which, in a continued movement, engage at both ends, as indicated in Figure 7, and in the final movement engage at the opposite corner corresponding to the toe. as indicated most clearly in Figure 8. The

tread surface of the shoes is cut away to rovide pronounced end portions correspon ing to the heel and toe according to the direction of rotation of the tractor wheel.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A tractor wheel comprising t hree coaxially mounted hub members, two of the hub members being loose and the third hub member fixed to a drive axle for rotation therewith, two sets of shoes disposed in a circle about the axis of the wheel, the shoes of one set being disposed opposite the spaces.

the respective loose hub members at opposite points to produce a stepping and a heel and toe action.

2. A tractor wheel comprising three cohub members being loose and the third hub member fixed to a drive axle for rotation therewith, two sets of shoes disposed in a circle about the axis of the wheel, the shoes of one set being disposed opposite the spaces formed between the shoes of the companion set, and a pair of arms pivotally connected at their outer ends to each of the shoes at spaced points in the length thereof, and having their inner ends pivotally connected to therespective loose hub members at opposite points to produce a'stepping and a heel and toe action, and a differential gearing connecting the fixed hub member with the loose hub members;

3. A tractor wheel comprisin a fixed and two loose coaxially mounted hu members, a differential gearing forming connecting means between the several hub members, two

sets of shoes having a staggered arrangement, and pairs of arms connecting each of the shoes with the respective loose hub members, the arms of eacl pair being pivotally connected at their outer ends to the shoes at spaced points in their length and at their inner ends to the respective hubs at opposite points.

4. A tractor wheel comprising a fixed and two loose coaxially mounted hub members, a difi'erential gearing forming connecting means between the several hub members, two sets of shoes having a staggered arrangement and pairs of arms connectin the shoes with the respective loose g bers, the arms of each pair being ivotally connected at their outer ends 'to' t e shoes at spaced points in their length and at their inner ends points, and corresponding arms of oppositely disposed shoesof difierent sets being rigidly connected at their inner ends and pivoted to one of the hub members, and the other arms ub memeach of axially mounted hub members, two of the to the respective hubs at opposite being rigidly connected to the arms of other shoes having an opposite arrangement, whereby to admit of stepping and a heel and toe action of the shoes in the operation of the wheel.

5. A tractor wheel comprising an axle, a hub member fixed to the axle, other hub members at the sides of the fixed hub member and loose upon the axle, a differential gearing forming connecting means between the several hub members, two sets of shoes disposed in a circle about the axle and having a stag gered arrangement a air of ogee arms pivoted at their outer en s to each of the shoes at spaced points in their length and having their inner ends pivotally connected to the respective loose hub members at opposite points, corresponding arms of oppositely disposed shoes of different sets being rigidly connected to each other and pivoted to a hub member, and the other arms of the respectivepairs being rigidly connected to the arms of other oppositely disposed shoes and pivoted to the other hub member, whereby to admit of the stepping and heel and toe action of the shoes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EARL E. DEITRICH. [u 5.] 

